werewolf in the band of seven
by rosie isis and rai the kitsune
Summary: like the title suggests, the band of seven gains a werewolf....the problem is the werewolf didn't join willingly....
1. full moon panic

i hope this story will get as many readers as my previous ones, though i would hope to get more reviews.

Chapter 1: Full moon panic

~Sengoku Jedai, a village near Mount Hakurae, night of the full moon~

Bankotsu and several other members of the Band of Seven stumble across a village being attacked by a large wolf with golden fur. Bankotsu smirks when he sees the destruction just the one wolf is causing. There are several bodies lying scattered in the beast's wake, ripped to shreds, some eviscerated completely, none actually eaten, as if the wolf killed them for fun rather than food. Said wolf is currently chasing after a child, already injured, heading towards the apparitions. The child doesn't recognize the members of the Band of Seven, too fearful of the beast getting closer and closer to it. Bankotsu blocks the child's path with a smirk, catching it by the back of its clothing and holding it up for the wolf, who doesn't hesitate to pounce on the terrified child, playing with it as a cat would a trapped mouse before ripping it to shreds and turning a bloodied muzzle to look at Bankotsu. He finds himself staring into icy blue eyes, and notices a pale pink streak of fur going from the inside corner of the wolf's left ear and going down across the face, between the eyes and disappearing into the blood from the villagers staining the wolf's golden fur. From the new vantage point, he can tell that the wolf is female, and he smirks when she seems to recognize him for who he is, backing away growling as he puts a hand in her fur and says, "I think I'll keep this pup as a pet, boys."

The icy blue eyes widen in something akin to fear at his wording, and not two seconds later, a metal collar materializes around her neck. A chain made of the same metal appears in Bankotsu's free hand as she tries to get the collar off, and he laughs, "I guess I said a key word or something. She's really mine, now."


	2. first attempt

i'd just like to say thanks to Yuti-chan for the review, fave, and alert. hope you like this chapter, too. oh, and i'll want another review before i put up the next one.

Chapter 2: First attempt

Within the next few hours, the Band of Seven members finish what the wolf started, while Bankotsu keeps an eye on his new pet. She repeatedly tries to use her claws to cut through the metal of her new collar, but any scratches she puts in it are repaired somehow within seconds. She doesn't like Bankotsu's hand in her fur, but something seems to be keeping her from doing more than growling at him. He quickly figures out that it's the collar preventing her from biting him as long as he holds the chain attached to it.

As the moon starts to go down, though, the wolf stops fighting him altogether and passes out in his lap. Imagine his surprise when his pet wolf starts to transform into a hanyou woman as the sun comes up. She has waist length golden hair with a small pink streak in her bangs, a series of scars along the left side of her throat, and her fangs are longer than those of a normal hanyou, but otherwise, she can pass for human. His biggest problem, though, is that she's totally naked when she transforms, leaving him in an awkward position with her sleeping in his lap.

She wakes up a few minutes later, revealing that her eyes are the same icy blue as the wolf's. The collar shrank to fit her human neck when she transformed, but when she comes fully awake, her entire face heats up as she realizes that she's in Bankotsu's lap with nothing but her hair covering certain vital areas. She refuses to look at his face as she says quietly, "I-I left some clothes in the forest….can I go and get them, please?"

Bankotsu quickly regains his composure and smirks when he sees her blush, "I'm coming with you."

Her face turns a brighter shade of red, but she nods, apparently just wanting to put on her clothes. She's careful to keep her hair covering her breasts as she leads him over to a tree at the edge of the forest that has a gap in the roots. She quickly reaches into the gap and pulls out a slightly tattered pale pink bag. (it's a backpack similar to Kagome's, but Bankotsu doesn't know what it's called.) She asks quietly if she can go behind the tree to get dressed, and he lets go of enough of the chain for her to do that.

Once behind the tree, she quickly pulls on a black silk kimono decorated sparsely with golden lightning bolt designs, securing it closed with a matching obi before lifting part of the chain as quietly as possible and hooking it onto a branch close to the level of her collar. She then uses her claws to cut through the chain as close to the collar as she can, moving away from Bankotsu before he can realize what she's done and before the cut ends of the chain can reseal themselves. She runs into the woods on silent feet, going almost too fast to be seen as she rushes through the trees. The chain quickly regrows itself from where she cut it, and she stops just long enough to wrap the chain around her waist so it won't snag and slow her down, but her pause is enough for Bankotsu to catch up to her and tackle her to the ground, putting them both in an awkward position as he knocks the wind out of her.

He uses the remains of the chain she left behind to tie her clawed hands together behind her back, growling a bit in anger as her sleeves get in the way. He finally rips the sleeves completely off of her kimono, secures the chain around her wrists, and pulls her back to her feet, saying, "Nice try, pet. You're mine now, and I keep what's mine."

She flexes her clawed fingers a little when she notices that he's secured her bag to his obi somehow as he drags her along beside him, now holding onto her by the base of the regrown chain. She refuses to speak to him as he rejoins the other members of his band. When he sees that Kanna and Kohaku have joined his group, he smirks again, "To what do I owe the pleasure, kids? New orders from Naraku?"

Kohaku looks curiously at the hanyou standing obviously against her will beside Bankotsu as Kanna says in her monotone voice, "Naraku has given us orders to leave his newest follower with you. She has apparently been raised as a messenger by her former master."

As Kanna says this, a twelve year old girl steps up next to her, her inu-gold eyes blank in the look of having her mind completely under Naraku's control. She looks eerily like Inuyasha, right down to the dog ears and red kimono. At the girl's waist is a pair of fans similar to Kagura's. Kanna looks at her as she finishes telling Bankotsu his orders and says, "You're to stay with brother and follow his orders."

The girl nods and says in a tone similar to Kanna's, "Yes, sister."

Bankotsu raises an eyebrow at their words, looking to Kohaku for an explanation as Kanna turns to leave. Kohaku shrugs, "It's the illusion Master Naraku put into her head to control her. She's fiercely loyal to anyone she's told is family to her."

Kohaku doesn't add that the illusion is transmitted into her mind via a jewel shard embedded so deeply into her forehead that she would die almost instantly if it were removed, but Bankotsu gets the idea and nods his understanding before Kohaku follows after Kanna, leaving the girl behind with the Band of Seven and the leader's new pet hanyou.


	3. encounter and second attempt

**Chapter 3: Encounter and second attempt**

**Bankotsu can't get his pet to speak to him for days after he thwarts her escape attempt, so he doesn't know her name. To annoy her, he starts calling her his "chibi hanyou" when referring to her to the other members of the band that travel with him. Knowing Mukotsu's tendencies, but wanting to keep the girl for himself, he insists that she stay close to him at all times, much to Jakotsu's displeasure, as he's put in charge of the twelve year old Inuyasha look-alike as a result, but is forbidden from taking her ears off as a substitute for the older inu-hanyou's.**

**He truly needn't bother with setting his younger brother to keep Mukotsu from the child as they travel, as she is quite capable of defending herself, as is demonstrated a few days after she's left with them when Koga, the leader of the ookami youkai tribe, comes across them. He takes one look at the child and says, "How the hell did you guys get dog-breath's niece in your group?"**

**Bankotsu notices that his new pet winces slightly at Koga's nickname for the child's relative, but doesn't have the slightest idea who he's referring to, so he says, "Don't know who you're talking about, but she's with us by choice."**

**He is, of course, not mentioning the fact that it was Naraku's choice, not the girl's, to travel with them. When Koga takes a step towards them as if to take the girl, she takes one of the fans from her obi, to which Koga says, "You really want to stay with these men, Nadeshiko?"**

**The child, Nadeshiko, answers by opening the fan and waving it in a move similar to Kagura, saying quietly, "Dragon Rampage."**

**A tornado similar to Kagura's Dance of the Dragon kicks up around Koga, then releases blades similar to the Dance of Blades into the tornado, aiming for the jewel shards in Koga's legs. Koga manages to dodge the blades, though, by jumping out through the top of the tornado with a small growl as he aims not for the girl, but for Bankotsu. Just before the blow can land, the collar around his pet's neck pulls her between him and Koga, causing his claws to scratch down her exposed arm. The blood left on Koga's claws from the wound inflicted on the female hanyou seems to cause the youkai pain, sparks of electricity coming from the bleeding wound on her arm. She struggles to get her hands free of the chains still binding her wrists together, whimpering almost in the same manner as the youkai, the sound heart-wrenching enough for Bankotsu to release her hands from the chain and allow her to sink down to her knees.**

**Bankotsu watches his pet as she brings her uninjured hand up to her mouth, coats two fingers in her saliva, and runs the coated fingers along the wounds in her arm, somehow sealing off the wounds to the point where the blood is the only evidence they were ever there. It's her blood that is giving off the electricity, as though it's a defense mechanism. Seeing the extent to which she can heal herself with only a bit of saliva, Bankotsu begin to wonder about the myriad of scars on her neck.**

**By this time, Koga has recovered from the electric shock he was subjected to by the woman's blood, and he's more than a little ticked off, thinking the hanyou willingly blocked his attack on Bankotsu. He stands up growling and stalks over to where she's slowly inching away from the bandit leader, picking her up by the back of her kimono as he turns her to face him, "Why the hell did you protect this bastard?"**

**As she looks Koga in the eye, her icy blue eyes flash lightning yellow for a moment before she whispers quietly enough that only the youkai can hear her, "I didn't want to. It's this damn collar. Please, get me away from him…."**

**Without changing expressions, making sure not to give the slightest hint to the Band of Seven members as to his intentions, Koga kicks up his whirlwind and takes off with the blonde hanyou in his arms. She wraps her arms around his neck without hesitation, seemingly used to the speed at which he's traveling.**

**They're several miles away from Bankotsu and the others before Koga lowers his speed, "We should be a good enough distance away now that you can tell me what the hell is going on, hanyou. Why was Nadeshiko with those apparitions?"**

"**She's somehow been put under Naraku's control. The illusion he put her under plays upon her loyalty to family. She believes Bankotsu to be her brother. And my name is Rose, by the way. I'd rather you didn't call me hanyou, as I don't have even that much demonic blood in me. I'm only one quarter demon. I wasn't about to tell Bankotsu that, though."**

"**Speaking of which, what's with the collar?"**

**She grumbles a little before answering, "It's a curse I was put under. I transform at the full moon, and Bankotsu activated the curse by accident when he voiced his intention to keep my other form as a pet."**

"**What is it you turn into?"**

"**Ookami."**

**Koga looks at her in surprise, "You're a werewolf?"**

"**Partly. Long story. It's rather embarrassing, so I'd rather we leave it at the fact that I'm also part vampire and that part came first."**

**Koga looks at her slight blush and gets the gist of what happened, "I get it. So, anywhere in particular you want me to drop you off, Alicia?"**

"**If you would, could you drop me off at the temple of the Eastern Forest Goddess? She's my older cousin…."**

"**Got it."**

"**Thanks."**


	4. modest temple, hidden castle

Chapter 4: Modest temple, hidden castle

Koga drops Rose off at the Torii gate in front of the temple, saying, "You sure about this? That idiot will probably follow you here if he's so set on keeping you."

Rose smiles and gives Koga a grateful kiss on the cheek as he sets her down on her feet, "Don't worry, Koga. The temple is only a meeting point. The Goddess's castle is hidden behind a special barrier that only lets in those who mean no harm to those within the castle walls. Bankotsu couldn't enter even if he found the barrier."

"If you're sure. I think I should go warn dog-breath that his niece has been brainwashed, though."

"I wish you wouldn't call Inuyasha that. Oh, and if you see Sesshoumaru, could you warn him as well? I'll be more likely to run into Nadeshiko's father than you, so I'll tell him what's happened."

"Will do. I'll get going now."

"Bye, Koga."

Without another word, Koga kicks his whirlwind up again and rushes off to find the inu brothers. Rose watches until the whirlwind is out of sight, then heads inside the temple, making sure to stir the wind chime as she goes inside. Within minutes, a young girl with golden hair, eyes, and clothing comes to meet Rose, saying, "It has been a while since you visited, Miss Rose. Lady Cousana was beginning to worry about you."

Rose bows in apology to the shikikami before her, "I'm sorry for that, Tachikara. I have a feeling that I will be coming here more often because of recent events."

"I saw that someone has activated your curse. May I ask who, Miss Rose, tries to be your master?"

"Bankotsu of the Shinshitai. He thinks to keep me as a pet, because he met me when I was ookami. I seek temporary shelter in the castle."

"Very well. I will take you to the barrier."

"Thank you, Tachikara."

The two of them leave the temple and head towards what appears to be a dangerous area of the forest. They head right through the barrier and find themselves in front of a pair of large western style gates. Both Rose and Tachikara take a deep breath and call out over the stark white stone wall, "Haku! Dosa! Two to enter!"

The gates are immediately opened far enough for both of them to enter and quickly shut behind them by the twin hanyou gatekeepers. As soon as the gates are closed, several children of various origins come rushing over to greet Rose with big hugs, including a few teenagers, such as the newly resurrected Thunder Brothers, who each clap her on the back in greeting, though Monten's appearance has changed drastically since Inuyasha and his companions saw the brothers. Their younger sister, Souten, launches herself into Rose's arms while a young wolf and bird of paradise demon each wrap themselves around her legs as she tries to walk towards the main building, calling out, "Cousana! I've returned for a short while, cousin."

A young woman steps out of the building, her hair the same shade as Rose's. In fact, the woman could pass for her cousin's twin were it not for her golden eyes and her choice in clothing. The woman, Cousana, rushes to greet Rose as the children did, but slows to a stop a few feet away when she sees the collar around her younger cousin's neck, saying, "Who is it that seeks to lay claim to my beloved cousin?"

Rose smiles a little at the tone of Cousana's voice, "He is a mere apparition who happened upon me during my transformation. He fancies himself a warrior because he was chosen by the treacherous hanyou to be revived along with his six comrades, one of whom has already fallen a second time. I only regret that he is incredibly stubborn and thwarted my earlier attempt to return here. I would have been here days earlier if he had not caught up to me when I stopped to retrieve the chain so it wouldn't snag. As it is, I owe my return this soon to the Southern Lord. Naraku has also managed to ensnare the granddaughter of the former Western Lord, playing upon her loyalty to family with his illusions."

"Neither the apparition nor his master shall set foot near you while you are here, Rose."

Rose nods her understanding as she sets Souten down on her feet and pries the two boys from her own legs before going to meet her cousin with a hug. The two who could be twins head inside to Cousana's chambers, dropping their formal speech patterns as they enter the sitting room with the walls covered in mirrors similar to the one Kanna carries.

"What's his name, Rose?"

"Bankotsu."

"Is Nadeshiko really under Naraku's control?"

"Yes. He exploited her apparent role as a messenger for the mysterious Lady Nadeshiko and embedded a Shikon shard into her forehead. She perceives those under Naraku's command as her siblings, possibly Naraku himself as Rashun. She even used Dragon Rampage on Koga, of all people! According to what Kanna told Bankotsu, she's to travel with them until Naraku needs her for anything. I examined her when no one was watching, and if the jewel shard is removed, we will need Tensaiga to save her, as it did her twin."

"Thank you for the news, Rose, even if it is bad. I assume you won't be staying long, though."

"You assume right, Cousana. I'm here mainly to gather my wits and my strength, before I set out to find and warn Rashun. I will need my bow and quiver for this journey, as I left my belongings with Bankotsu when Koga helped me escape. I have a feeling that I will be seeing more of the Shinshitai in the days to come, and that when he catches up to me, Bankotsu may have altered my kimonos as he did the one I'm wearing now."

Rose turns in a full circle to show her cousin the torn away sleeves and carelessly ripped edge where the lower half of her kimono's skirt once was. The kimono was once used for formal occasions, but now it could no longer be used for such things.


	5. kitsune coverup

Chapter 5: Kitsune cover-up

~Inuyasha's forest, night of the new moon~

Shippo has been sensing something nearby all day, as has Kilala. Neither of them is able to pinpoint what it is, because as soon as they get a lock on its location, it moves, telling them it might be a demon. The fact that Sango and Miroku aren't sensing it, though, gives them reason to doubt this. At sunset, however, the whole group sees something that seems to glow near their campsite, giving Inuyasha reason to be nervous because it's the night of the new moon. Shippo actually volunteers to check it out.

The glow in the forest is Rose's own campsite. She sits by her fire carving runes into the shafts of her arrows when she senses the young kitsune in the bushes near her. She smiles a little to herself as she says out loud, "You can come on out, Shippo. I'm just enhancing my arrows."

Shippo comes out slowly, saying, "How do you know my name?"

"You and the others are famous even in the Eastern lands. I hear you guys are currently fighting apparitions known as the Band of Seven. Is that right?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

She tugs a bit on the collar around her neck, "I've had a run-in with the leader."

"You're the werewolf that Koga mentioned?"

"He mentioned me? He rescued me from Bankotsu about half a month ago. I've been taking refuge in my cousin's castle for the last few days until I could regain a bit of confidence."

"Why leave the Eastern lands if Bankotsu is after you?"

"He has my stuff. And Nadeshiko is my friend. We met about a year ago at Cousana's castle. Plus, he's the only one who can take this damn collar off of me unless he's killed."

"Well, Inuyasha wants to kill him. You wanna come back to our campsite with me?"

"Actually, Shippo, I'd rather you not tell them who I am. Just say I'm a human who's traveling or something, okay?"

"No problem…."

"Rose."

"Okay, Rose."

Shippo heads back to the others and tells them the lie Rose asked him to. Inuyasha doesn't buy it, though, going over to Rose's camp himself, only to find it empty but for four arrows and a note that says: _For Kagome._


	6. reclaimed hanyou

Chapter 6: Reclaimed hanyou

~approx. three days later, Suikotsu's village~

Rose runs into Kikyo near Mount Hakurae, and the two enter the village together, exchanging news of recent happenings. Rose is wary of the village doctor, knowing by his scent that he is a member of the Band of Seven. She doesn't say anything about it, however, as she can also sense that the doctor is separate from the killer in some way.

The two women stay in the village for a few days until Inuyasha and the others show up and attack Suikotsu. Rose is in the village when Jakotsu and the others attack. Unfortunately, when Suikotsu turns from the doctor to the killer, Jakotsu spots her trying to protect the village children, and tells Suikotsu to bring her along. Alive.

As Suikotsu grabs her around the waist, his weapon cuts into her hand slightly, giving her a close range weapon of her own. She whips her body around, her bleeding hand making contact with Suikotsu's cheek. The electricity in her blood temporarily paralyzes his muscles, causing him to drop her and allowing her to make a run for the relative safety of Inuyasha's group. Jakotsu grabs hold of the chain flying behind her, though, before she gets very far, and wraps the end around part of Ginkotsu, tethering the defiant woman before he launches himself at Inuyasha. She tries to take hold of Jakotsu as he runs past her, hoping to transfer some of her electrified blood to him like she did Suikotsu, but by then Suikotsu has recovered from his temporary paralysis, and grabs onto her wrist, careful not to touch the blood as he drags her onto Ginkotsu, saying, "Oh no you don't, girl. I don't know why Jakotsu wants to bring you along so badly, but I'm tempted to hurt you worse than that scratch for what you just did to me."

She tugs her hand out of his grasp and licks the wound to close it, knowing she can't afford anymore blood loss this night. She then resigns herself to returning to Bankotsu for now, growling when Mukotsu gets too close and backing more towards Suikotsu. She'd rather face the angered killer than the perverted poison master.

As she watches the fight between Jakotsu and Inuyasha, she smells another inu-hanyou nearby and turns towards the scent to see the brother who looks the most like the former Western Lord. She calls out to him, "Greetings, inu dhamphire. Be warned, the apparitions have laid claim to the white twin."

Both Mukotsu and Suikotsu turn to look in the direction she was looking as the young man calls back, "Thank you for the information, raiju. I will take steps to correct the situation and protect the black twin."

Before anyone else can figure out the strange code, Rashun turns and leaves the area. Suikotsu and Mukotsu turn to the captured woman with confused looks that make her laugh a bit under her breath. Naraku's samyosho show up a moment later, and the Band of Seven members retreat with their reclaimed prize sitting with her arms crossed at Jakotsu's feet so he can keep an eye on his brother's errant pet.

When they rejoin Bankotsu and Renkotsu at their hideout, the mercenary leader is delighted to see the golden-haired hanyou among them as well as Suikotsu. He listens with a confused expression as the men relay to him the strange conversation his pet hanyou had with the inu hanyou at the village.

Of course, then he looks at her and says, "What was that all about?"

He gets a stubborn expression as his answer. After that, he puts her in a room by herself and attaches her chain to the wall. Instead of trying to escape, though, she decides to just stay put for a few days, slightly hoping that she can take out a few annoyances at the full moon. Too bad she would need to drink someone's blood sooner than she would transform into her other form. Come to think of it, so would Nadeshiko soon. Maybe when her need for blood became too much, her instincts would override the illusion Naraku put her under long enough to get them both out of the Band of Seven's range….

~approx. three nights later~

Rose wakes up to the sound of the shoji screen that serves as a door to her room opening. She looks up to see Nadeshiko in the doorway, panting heavily as her inu-gold eyes swirl with vampire-red and her fangs start to drip in anticipation. Rose has felt a similar urge creeping up to her for the last two nights, so she's glad to see that her theory about Nadeshiko's instincts was right. Her own eyes slowly turning red, she stands up and quickly cuts the chain near its base, then both of them slip away from the hideout to find the nearest inhabited village.

Rose's chain regenerates before they reach a village, but rather than stop and pick it up like last time, she cuts it off again without stopping. The two of them work together to lure out prey to the edge of the village that leads away from the Band of Seven's hideout, intending to head towards the temple once their hunger has abated somewhat. Nadeshiko agrees that she shouldn't completely sate herself before they head to their destination, as it is her hunger for blood keeping Naraku's power at bay for the moment.

Once Rose is sated completely, and Nadeshiko has fed to the point where she's not about to go berserk but still at a point where her instincts are keeping the illusions at bay, the two of them head for the temple of the Eastern Forest Goddess, and to a temporary safe haven. Rose keeps cutting the chain short before it can drag the ground and make noise, but she's in too much of a hurry to realize that she's leaving a trail for Bankotsu to follow in the morning. It's nearly sunrise when the two of them come across Inuyasha's camp, and ask permission to stay with them for a little while until they can reach the Eastern Lands. Nadeshiko being Inuyasha's niece, his answer for her is yes. Everyone but Shippo is suspicious of Rose, however, because of what happened at Suikotsu's village, namely her not putting up much of a fight when she was captured. Shippo of course knows why she didn't fight too hard, since she told him that Bankotsu was the only one who could remove her collar because of the curse she was under. The look she gives him says not to tell the others about it, though.

Eventually, the adults agree to let Rose stay with them as well. At night, Rose sleeps in a position similar to Inuyasha's customary one, only she usually has Shippo or Kilala in her lap instead of a weapon. Her clothing makes it somewhat difficult for her to sleep comfortably this way for long, though, and after the first couple of nights she ends up accomplishing it by leaning her back against Inuyasha's side, much to his embarrassment.


	7. inuyasha at the hidden castle

Chapter 7: Inuyasha at the hidden castle

It takes about a week for the group to reach the border of the Eastern Lands, and Inuyasha agrees to take the two girls as far as the temple after that. Nadeshiko has had to feed every other day to keep herself at the right balance between berserk and sated to stay out of Naraku's control for the journey. She won't let herself become fully sated on blood until after she's safely at the castle, where she can be restrained if Naraku exerts control over her again.

They arrive at the temple within two days of leaving the Western Lands, and Rose makes sure to stir the wind chimes as they walk inside. The shikikami who comes to meet them this time is a young boy about the same age as Tachikara, being her twin brother, Tachikaro. He greets them with a smile, saying, "Miss Rose. Miss Nadeshiko. It's good to see the both of you arrived here safely. Lady Cousana has extended an invitation for your companions to stay the night in the castle as well, if they wish."

Inuyasha of course is wary of the golden haired boy, as he can't detect a scent from him. Nadeshiko lays a hand on her uncle's arm, saying quietly, "It's okay, Uncle Inuyasha. Tachikaro is a shikikami under the Goddess. She retains four of them at any given time, as she needs a lot of help around the castle."

Kagome seems interested by this, "She does?"

Rose smiles a little, "Yeah. Cousana has a penchant for taking in orphaned children, no matter their parentage. In fact, she's used a special gem from the continent to resurrect her nephews so they could help with all of the kids. Souten of the thunder demon tribe is her niece, so she went to live at Lightning Castle after the little incident with the crayons."

Shippo blushes at that reminder, wondering how Rose knew about it. At Kagome's urging, the group agrees to stay the night at the castle. Rose picks Shippo up almost without thinking about it, saying quietly, "Just to warn you, the resurrected nephews are Souten's older brothers. They're not permitted to carry weapons within the castle compound, but I wanted to make sure you weren't too frightened by them. Monten doesn't look the same as he did before, though. Part of the power contained within the jewel that Cousana used allows him to change his appearance. He looks almost like he could be Hiten's twin now."

The thought of two demons that look like Hiten creeps Shippo out quite a bit. Especially since one of them is the real thing. At least Rose warned him, though. Shippo is so lost in thought that he doesn't notice when they pass through the illusion barrier around the castle. He barely even registers the western style gate until Rose, Nadeshiko, and Tachikaro call out, "Haku! Dosa! Nine to enter! Two carried!"

Inuyasha almost freaks out when the gate is opened for them by twin ookami-hanyou gatekeepers. Kagome nearly cracks up laughing when Rose is nearly bowled over by the younger children, but is touched when she sees the wolf demon and bird of paradise demon each wrap their arms around one of her legs while sharing a smile. What Shippo notices is that the three thunder demons hang back from the crowd, looking slightly uncomfortable, with Souten blushing when she sees him being carried by her aunt's cousin. As the gate closes behind them, Rose sets the young kitsune down on his feet, whispering, "Go over to them and let the boys apologize. It might not be enough to make up for what they did, but it's a start, right?"

Shippo nods and runs over to the thunder demons, calling out, "Souten! It's been a while, hasn't it?!"

After she manages to pry the two boys off of her legs again, promising to come play with them before bedtime, Rose turns to look at the slightly stunned hanyou and miko, having surmised that they spotted Hiten and the others, "I told you she brought her two nephews back to life, didn't I? I just didn't say who they were. I figured the hint about Souten being her niece would help you figure it out."

The three of them stand there watching the Thunder Brothers apologize profusely to the kit they orphaned, Sango and Miroku having been dragged inside the main castle by some of the younger kids who had flocked to Rose when they arrived. When the budding couple shows no signs of moving, however, she goes behind them and starts pushing them forward, saying, "They owe the two of you apologies as well, right? They've come to regret their actions before, and wish to make amends to those they wronged who are still alive."

Kagome snaps out of her stupor at this, and starts helping Rose push the stubborn Inuyasha forward, finally telling him that if he doesn't walk over there on his own that she'll use a sit command on him. He finally agrees to walk over to where the Thunder Brothers are now watching the two of them after Souten drags Shippo inside to see her artwork. Rose stands back and watches the four of them speak, trying not to laugh at Inuyasha's uncomfortable expression as the brothers apologize to them just as profusely as they did to Shippo before.

Cousana comes out while this is going on, standing next to Rose as she says, "I thought for a while there that I would have to send the boys out with you before they'd be able to make amends to these guys."

Rose smiles at her older cousin, "That's part of the reason why I talked them into coming to the temple with us. I figured Inuyasha would want to be here when we remove Nadeshiko's jewel shard, too. If we can talk them into staying long enough, Rashun should be here soon with Sesshoumaru and his Tensaiga."

"So, you managed to get a warning to him?"

"Yes. I had to use the code, though, because I was being restrained by members of the Shinshitai at the time."

Rose snickers a bit, adding, "You should've seen Suikotsu's face when I backhanded him with my hand bleeding from the scratch he gave me. He was pissed! Of course, that didn't exactly help my case when I tried to hide behind him a minute or two after Rashun left because Mukotsu was getting too close for comfort."

"You actually used the electricity in your blood to hurt someone? Isn't that the very reason why you refuse to learn how to swim in a stream?"

"I was scared, okay? Besides, paralyzing an apparition is something all together different from accidentally electrocuting a river full of fish."

Hiten picks that moment to snicker at their conversation, and Rose immediately turns beet red and stomps inside, "I'm gonna go change clothes. I've been sleeping outside too long in this ripped kimono."

Cousana calls after her, "You're welcome to use my closet if you want to, Rose."

Rose waves her hand to show she heard her cousin before disappearing inside. After another moment or two, Cousana turns to her other guests and says, "Well, would you two like for me to show you to the guest rooms? We have about an hour before dinner, so if you want to freshen up a bit, I'm sure someone can show you to the bath house."

Kagome's face lights up at the thought of having a bath, while Inuyasha yawns a little, still looking a bit suspicious, since most of their experiences with a demon castle haven't been good ones. Cousana's smile widens a little at the smile Kagome is wearing, saying, "Come on in. I'll show you your rooms, then I'll have someone come up to get you when your bath is ready."

With that said, she turns to go inside the main building. Inuyasha and Kagome follow her inside, while Hiten and Monten head out back to start the bath, knowing their aunt will ask them to anyway. They walk past Cousana's room, then on past Souten's, hearing the young demon excitedly talking about her drawings with Shippo, which causes both women to smile happily. Even Inuyasha lets a small smile slip through his facade when they pass by an open door to see Miroku being pestered by about a dozen little boys of various origins, all in their early teens, for advice about girls.


	8. tandem curses

okay, i know i shouldn't really be complaining, this being my most reviewed story thus far, but could someone _besides _Yuti-chan post a review? i've reached chapter eight now with only her reviewing, and i only have one more chapter after this one already written. if you guys wanna read beyond chapter 9, you're gonna have to review!

Chapter 8: Tandem curses

~border between Eastern and Western Lands~

Bankotsu, Renkotsu, and Ginkotsu are following Rose's trail of cut chains through the forest, the bandit leader contemplating the letter that was found in his pet's room next to the cut chain. Since he himself can't read, he had Renkotsu read it to him:

_Bankotsu,_

_Even as you read this (or it is read to you), I am fighting to keep a second curse at bay. The curse itself is not deadly, but it is rather annoying. While my pride will not allow me to explain it to you in person, I'll explain in this letter._

_The curse is called "return to terror". It causes the body of the one afflicted to return to the age it was when they experienced their most terrifying moment. For me, that would be the age of three. Do you see why I would not want you to see my transformation? As it is, I am nearing the limit of my endurance, and when the collar leads you to me at the full moon, you will likely find a pup in the place of your wolf._

_This curse for me is akin to the hanyou's time of weakness, and if possible, I would have no one see me while I am afflicted, but as I know you will follow me anyway, I guess I'll just have to wish you and your band good luck in caring for me in that state. I can only hope that you find me before any demons do._

_Soon to be chibi,_

_Rose_

Bankotsu wonders briefly if she might be joking, but then realizes that she wouldn't have bothered to write the letter if she wasn't certain he would take it seriously. Still, a curse that forces one's body to regress in age is something new to him. He decides that he will just have to find out if she's being truthful or not when they find her. Then again, at least now he knows what to call her.

~Lightning Castle~

Rose truly is nearing the limit of her endurance in keeping the curse at bay, and with the next night being the start of the full moon cycle, she quickly prepares to leave her sanctuary in order to keep herself from hurting those who live there.

Going to the small closet in her room, she pulls out two items that seem to have nothing to do with each other: a doll, and a scythe. The doll appears to be modeled as a warrior, wearing a black kimono and hakama set with black hair reaching to his waist that parts to show the hilt of a western style broadsword that is sheathed on his back. The scythe appears as a pair of lightning bolts joined at almost a right angle by a storm cloud, the blade curved in much the same way as that of a sickle. Taking a thin ribbon from the closet as well, Rose uses her thoughts to shrink the scythe to the size of a pendant and uses the ribbon to make it into a necklace. She then takes the necklace and doll with her into the forest, stopping when she's about a day and a half's travel from the border.

~Forest near the border~

Because she was traveling with a group before, most of whom were much slower than her, the same distance took her longer. As she sets up a small camp for the night, without a fire and dressed in the ripped kimono so as to steer Bankotsu away from the idea of his pet having a hidden sanctuary, she lays the doll and necklace by a tree before leaning against the trunk of it and falling asleep.

She spends the day's time that she has to wait focusing on staying in her true form. Near sunset, she removes her kimono so she'll have something to wear after the night to come. She bites back a moan of pain as she transforms into the golden wolf that started her problems, but instead of heading for the nearest village to repeat her performance, she quietly lays down near the things her human self left next to the tree.

Bankotsu finds her just as she passes out at moonset, seeing that she's still fully grown. Almost as soon as she transforms back to her human form at sunrise, though, her body starts to give off a strange mist, and she cries out in pain as her body shrinks before his eyes. When the mist clears, a three year old lays in the woman's place, her breathing heavier than it should be. She wakes up a couple minutes after the mist clears, groaning a little before she mutters, "Don't know why it always has to feel like my bones are melting….damn that hurts so much…."

She doesn't seem to realize that Bankotsu is nearby, getting up on unsteady feet and dressing in the kimono she set aside the day before. The fact that it's missing half of its skirt has turned from an annoyance to a small blessing, as a full sized kimono would have swallowed her in her current state. She still hasn't noticed Bankotsu standing at the tree line behind her as she ties the ribbon holding the pendant-sized scythe around her neck under the collar and picks up the doll, which now doesn't look so out of place. As she's turning around, Bankotsu finally steps forward, "Hey, Chibi. There you are. Did you think I'd forgotten about you?"

Rose stiffens for a moment before realizing that it's not a demon, then turns fully to face him, looking up at him with an expression that shows her uncertainty. Without waiting for a reply, he simply smirks, walks over, and scoops her up, "Renkotsu and Ginkotsu are waiting on us, you know."

She surprises him by leaning against him as he carries her back towards the border, one small hand clenched in his kimono while the other hugs her doll to her small chest. After a moment or two, he puts it down as fatigue from the consecutive transformations she just went through. Apparently, the transformation from adult to child is painful, and he reasons that going between wolf and human forms can't be easy either.

Renkotsu raises an eyebrow at the scene they make when they rejoin him and Ginkotsu at the border, but doesn't question Bankotsu as they start to head back towards the rest of the Band of Seven. Jakotsu doesn't know weather the go "aww" or bust a gut laughing when he sees his brother carrying a by-then-sleeping three year old girl into the building, but settles for asking, "What happened here?"

Bankotsu smirks down at the little girl in his arms, adjusting his hold the show the chain and collar before saying, "I don't know where the other one is, but this one's my Chibi. Excuse me, Rose."

"Huh?"

Renkotsu explains, "She left a note this time, and signed it with the name Rose. Big Brother saw her turn into this."


	9. purified isle

okay, you guys finally get to know the reason behind the doll in this chapter. by the way, the term full moon cycle refers to the nights immediately before, of, and immediately after the full moon. these are the three nights a month that rose transforms into a wolf. i figured i'd save myself and the Band of Seven some grief and not write about the two remaining nights, when they'd essentially be chasing a wolf cub around the hideout.

Chapter 9: Purified isle

~approx. one week after the full moon cycle~

Jakotsu is about to go crazier than he already is, having to help his brother look after the three year old Rose for the past week. She's not being a bother. In fact, she's trying her best to be as unobtrusive as possible. Jakotsu's problem is that she's so damn cute and he can't cut her to pieces without pissing Bankotsu off. She's been allowed to walk around the hideout on her own since Mukotsu got his ass killed a second time while she was gone, and she's always carrying that doll around with her, usually held to her chest with one arm while the other hand holds onto the pant leg of whoever's watching her at the time.

Bankotsu is contacted by Naraku about an assignment via the samyosho. He's to wait for Inuyasha and his group inside an island shrine, the one that once housed Saint Hakusheen. Knowing Jakotsu's current level of frustration, he takes Rose with him. The sacred barrier on the island pains him, so he knows that she's feeling sick as they hide inside the shrine. He watches her closely to make sure she won't pass out, noticing that she's clutching her doll more tightly than usual as she breathes heavily. He's struck by a sense of morbid fascination when he sees her fangs visibly lengthen, asking her, "Hey, you okay Chibi? Your fangs are getting longer…."

She tightens her hold on both the doll and the leg of his hakama as she says quietly, "It's a vampire instinct….this barrier is trying to purify me….instincts dictate that any harm must be counteracted by drinking blood…."

He hears a boat land on the rocks near the island and says, "I'll get you some blood as soon as we're done here, Chibi."

She doesn't answer, let alone argue, her focus on keeping herself from trying to bite the apparition next to her. The two of them are forced apart when the shrine is demolished by Sango's Hiraikotsu, Rose being thrown backwards towards the source of the barrier. Bankotsu uses Banryu to clear the dust caused by the shrine's destruction, then looks to see where his pet landed. He becomes worried when he sees that she's passed out next to the barrier's source and the doll has fallen from her hand.

Miroku notices the direction of Bankotsu's gaze and immediately rushes over to the unconscious three year old, checking to see if she's alive while saying to himself, "What the hell is a child doing here?"

Bankotsu growls a little, yelling at the monk, "You stay away from my Chibi, monk!"

Miroku looks at the bandit leader with an eyebrow raised, still heading towards Rose's unconscious form. While Bankotsu's attention is focused on the monk and child, Inuyasha attacks him. They engage in battle while Miroku and the boy who led them to the island check on the little girl. Since they didn't see Rose's transformation into a child, they don't know that she's the woman who disappeared from Lightning castle a little over a week ago. Her close proximity to the barrier's source causes it to be revealed as an ornament from the alter of Saint Hakusheen. The monk and the headman's son use their staves to break the barrier around it, causing the barrier around the island to dissipate as well. Almost as soon as the barrier is gone, Inuyasha aims a Wind Scar at Bankotsu, who blocks it with Banryu, yelling at Miroku, "Get your ass away from my Chibi!"

While Miroku is focusing on Bankotsu, the bandit leader finds out why Rose has been carrying that doll around. The doll begins to glow before its form grows to the size of a full grown human. The now grown form comes to life, looking around at the people around him before bending down to scoop up the unconscious form of Rose, saying in a voice that's quiet yet carrying, "You never can stay out of trouble when this damn curse kicks in…."

As he examines the child for injuries, she starts to stir, her voice reaching Bankotsu if no one else, "I'm okay, Zee-kay."

Seeing that his pet is okay, Bankotsu yells to the one holding her, "Keep her out of the crossfire! I'm gonna retaliate over here!"

The young man, Zee-kay, nods and heads towards the edge of the island with Rose in his arms, muttering, "You finally got your other curse activated, huh?"

Rose rolls her eyes, "Yeah. I guess I could've done worse than a resurrected psychopathic bandit leader."

"You're the pet of a freaking apparition?"

"Shut up, you spirit with a Kikyo complex."

"You leave my unhealthy obsession out of this, shrimp."

"Oh, real mature. You know what? I'm introducing you to his brother when we get back."

While they're talking, Bankotsu and Inuyasha battle each other until Kagome gets in a sacred arrow to Bankotsu's arm. The arrow turns his arm to bone, but he's not the one who feels the pain from it. Because of the collar connecting them, Rose develops a wound in the same place that Kagome's arrow hit Bankotsu, causing her to cry out in pain. Bankotsu removes the arrow from his arm and retreats towards his pet and her doll, calling, "What's wrong, Chibi?! What happened?!"

Rose is quick to close the wound with her saliva, calling back, "I'm okay! I'll be good as new soon."

Bankotsu breathes a small sigh of relief when he hears her and sees Naraku's samyosho appear to cover their retreat. He and Zee-kay use the mists surrounding the island to disappear, heading towards the sacred barrier around Mount Hakurae. Once they're far enough away, Bankotsu stops Zee-kay from going any closer to the barrier, "I told her I'd take her to get some blood after that battle because the barrier on the island was hurting her."

Zee-kay nods, handing his charge over to Bankotsu before returning to doll form with a parting message, "You make sure she stays safe while I can't protect her. I'm the only one who can hurt her without retaliation."

Rose mutters, "Kikyo complex….", before Bankotsu hands the once-more doll to her and sets her on her feet.

Bankotsu is confused by this statement, but shakes his head as Rose takes hold of his hakama and they head for the nearest village to get her some blood.


End file.
